Alex Lanier, who is 1.8 metres long, got dubbed the ‘Beast’, as he brought a very high level of muscularity to the court, combined with quickness of movement and flexibility, that will prove to be a headache in coming years for Asians who have stuck to the lean, quick-footed, fast-reflexed bodytype when playing the sport.
The last two Olympics men’s singles titles have gone to a European, not an Asian. And the first Tour title immediately after Paris Games, the Japan Open, a Super 750 final (that’s just one rung below the Big4 like All England and China Open), was won by French teenager Alex Lanier.
If Danish Viktor Axelsen’s tall, strapping mic-drop game has seen him collect titles at will, peaking for the big events and absolutely crushing opponents in one-sided finals, the 19-year-old Lanier brings a different physicality to the sport. Lanier, who is 1.8 metres long, got dubbed the ‘Beast’, as he brought a very high level of muscularity to the court, combined with quickness of movement and flexibility, that will prove to be a headache in coming years for Asians who have stuck to the lean, quick-footed, fast-reflexed bodytype when playing the sport.
